


An Appropriate Gift

by Bryonia_Alba



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-11-03 21:58:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10976157
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bryonia_Alba/pseuds/Bryonia_Alba
Summary: Neville’s searching for the ideal Valentine’s Day gift for Hannah.





	An Appropriate Gift

**Author's Note:**

> Written sometime in 2010.

When most people thought of Neville Longbottom, the first thing that came to mind was snake-killing. Those people tended to be the ones who didn’t know Neville well, or who only knew him from what they’d read in _The Daily Prophet_ ; which is to say, they didn’t know him at all.

His friends, on the other hand, usually thought of plants. Flowers, ferns, green growing things, glasshouses, dirt embedded beneath fingernails: those were the things Neville’s friends associated with him. Plants represented life and growth, not death; and most of the time Neville liked being thought of in such a manner.

Most of the time. Not now, not when it was almost Valentine’s Day and he had no idea what to get for Hannah, his new girlfriend. It was the first time he’d even _had_ a girlfriend still around for the holiday; none of the others had lasted long enough. It seemed advice was in order, so Neville asked his friends what they were doing for their girlfriends on Valentine’s Day. 

Dean had smiled and shown Neville the almost-finished portrait of Luna he was painting. Neville could barely draw a decent stick figure, much less produce anything as beautiful as Dean’s work in progress. Besides, he wasn’t even certain Hannah _liked_ art. 

Seamus had shown Neville a catalogue filled with barely-there bits of lingerie and an eye-popping selection of sex ‘toys’, then laughed when Neville blushed. Perhaps Pansy would be content with a scrap of lace and a new pair of high-heeled shoes, but Neville had a feeling Hannah wouldn’t be as pleased.

Harry had been no help at all, green eyes widening when Neville asked for suggestions and muttering under his breath about making a note to buy something between now and the fourteenth. Neville suspected Ginny would be lucky to receive a box of discount chocolates and a card purchased just before closing time from the corner chemist.

Ron, at least, showed he had at least one romantic bone in his body when Neville asked what he was doing for Hermione. He intended to take Hermione to her favourite Muggle restaurant, followed by a film at a Muggle cinema and then a bubble bath and back massage once they were home. Unfortunately, Neville knew nothing about Muggle eateries or what films Hannah might like, although he and Ron spent a fair few minutes discussing why girls seemed to favour films containing baby chickens, and why said ‘chick flicks’ held such appeal.

He could give Hannah a backrub, though. However, Neville suspected Hannah expected a little more than a massage on the big day. Once it became clear his male friends had little advice worth heeding, Neville turned to his distaff friends in hope of better ideas.

“She’ll like anything you give her,” Ginny assured him, “so long as it’s not obvious you bought it at the very last minute. It has to show you gave it some thought and effort.” She smiled. “Which you’re doing, since you’re asking.”

“What does _Hannah_ like?” Hermione asked. “It doesn’t have to be hearts and flowers and chocolates, if she’s not into those things.”

“She likes chocolate and flowers, but that would be too easy. I can give her those any time,” Neville sighed. “She likes cookbooks, but I gave her those for Christmas. She also likes, um, flannel nightgowns; but isn’t lingerie the norm for Valentine’s Day?”

“Not if she never wears it,” Hermione replied. “If she likes flannel nightgowns, give her a flannel nightgown. You’re making it harder than it is.”

“Just make sure the nightgown isn’t plain white,” Ginny added wickedly. “It _is_ a special occasion, after all.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

“Oh, Neville, it’s lovely!” Hannah squealed, lifting out the flannel nightgown from its box. The nightgown in question was printed with a multitude of tiny red hearts, the yoke trimmed with thin red ribbon. Peering into the box, she squealed again. “And matching slippers, too!”

“I got you chocolates, too,” Neville admitted, handing her a heart-shaped box. “Truffles. I figured if you didn’t like the nightgown I could give you something I _really_ knew you liked.”

“You shouldn’t have. I love them!” Hannah stroked the ribbon adorning the nightie for a moment before handing a package to Neville. “I bought you something, too. Happy Valentine’s day, Neville.”

Opening the box, Neville pushed aside the tissue paper and let out a shout of laughter as he pulled out...a pair of red pyjamas.

“I think I know how we’re going to spend our Valentine’s Day,” he said, kissing Hannah’s cheek. “I was never a big believer in Divination, but I don’t think signs like these should be ignored.”

“I’ll just go slip this on,” Hannah murmured, getting to her feet, nightgown and chocolates in hand. “I’ll meet you in the bedroom.”

Neville grinned and followed.


End file.
